Ion Tiger Video Transcript – 2 Minutes
Speaker Key:
Swider-Lyons: Karen Swider-Lyons, Ph.D., Head of Alternative Energy Section, Naval Research Laboratory
Anderson: Michelle Anderson, Ph.D., Ion Tiger Program Manager, Office of Naval Research (ONR)
NARRATOR: What type of power generation system is pollution free and has potential to deliver twice the efficiency of an internal combustion engine? The hydrogen-powered fuel cell.
NARRATOR: The Office of Naval Research has been investing in fuel cell technology since the early 1990s. The recent culmination of ONR efforts has resulted in an unmanned air vehicle, UAV – Ion Tiger.
Swider-Lyons: It’s a fuel cell, which is emerging technology, very exciting clean energy and efficient technology and it's incorporated in an unmanned air vehicle which is probably the most sought-after tool by the warfighter right now.
NARRATOR: ION Tiger is scheduled to take an impressive journey by air in the next few months. It will carry heavier payloads than previous UAVs.
Anderson: This would really be a first of its kind demonstration for a fuel cell system in a UAV application for 24 hours endurance and a 5-lb. payload, that's something nobody can do right now.
NARRATOR: The advantages of flying a UAV with fuel cell technology are many. Hydrogen fuel cells produce less sound and heat than conventional internal combustion engines. The by-product is water. The military is depending more and more on UAVs for reconnaissance missions.
NARRATOR: Across the board, the military is looking for quiet efficient sources of energy. And the Office of Naval Research is leading the way for the Navy with support for early alternative fuel research all the way from man-portable power to unmanned undersea vehicles to UAVs to ship service.
Anderson: ONR's role is really to be the visionary to look out there and see what's possible in terms of science and technology and to identify the funding and provide the funds to enable the technical scientists and engineers to go out there and demonstrate it.
NARRATOR: Hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology is one of many promising programs at ONR in the power and energy research field that is helping the Navy and Marine Corps meet the energy needs of both the warfighter and the public as revolutionary research continues to deliver relevant results.